Beginnings of a Death Eater—Chapter Eight

A long hike and a steep climb brought Narcissa up to the aviary, a place she habitually avoided unless she required an owl. Bird droppings covered every inch of the floor as well as the great window openings all around the room, and the noise of the squawking flock made her want to shriek along with them. On the plus side, Lucius wouldn't think to look for her here. She pulled up, startled at the sight of a small figure crouched inside against the wall, dark head huddled down on his knees.

"Hello?"

The boy lifted his head, looking relieved. "Hello, Miss Black."

Narcissa hurried over to him and squatted down, not quite close enough to accidentally touch him. "Severus, what are you doing here?"

He shrugged.

"It's cold out here, you're shivering."

"I'm okay."

"No, you're not. You're coming back to the school." She took him by the arm to tug him up, his resistance making it much more difficult than she'd anticipated. She managed to pull him to a half-stand.

"I wanna stay here!" he pleaded, yanking back so hard he broke free and tumbled against the wall, where he lost his footing and pitched headlong onto the floor. He knelt up, his robes smeared with bird dung. Looking down, it seemed as if he would burst out crying.

"Severus, I'm sorry," she gushed. "Stand up, please." She whipped out her wand. "Scourgify."

Severus glanced down at his now clean robes, then up to Narcissa. "Thank you," he said, so softly she barely heard him.

"Why are you hiding here? And don't tell me you're not!"

He shrugged again, then said, "So the Marauders don't find me."

Marauders? Narcissa hadn't heard of any ghosts called that, and certainly the castle wasn't besieged by pillagers. "Who?"

"It's what they call themselves. They like to pick on me."

"Why don't you tell the Head of House or a professor?"

"It would only make it worse. It's their word against mine, and there are four of them," he said resignedly. "It's easier to hide."

"Well, it isn't right."

Severus didn't respond. A lot of what happened in his life wasn't right, but it was what it was. He'd accepted that a long time ago.

"Who are they?" Narcissa asked.

The boy looked up at her as if she were joking. "It doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does. You have as much right to the castle as they do!"

"You wouldn't think so if you knew one of them was your cousin," he accused quietly, backing away a step.

"Sirius? He's picking on you?" She didn't need to see the boy nod to believe it. "That little reptile!"

She whirled and stormed out, leaving Severus alone. Once more he slid down into a crouch, hugging his knees for warmth.

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"Petrificus totalus!" The spell shot out of Narcissa's wand to strike Sirius square in the chest. His arms slapped to his sides and he fell backward into the grass. She charged forward, wand aimed at the other three boys, who stared in shock. "Drop your wands and move away," she ordered, "or Potter is next."

All three tossed their wands down and backed up several paces. Only James had the gumption to ask, "What do you think you're doing? You're going to get in trouble."

Her glare silenced him. "You think you're big, the four of you strutting around terrorizing other students! You're pathetic!" She looked down at Sirius; he couldn't move, but he could hear her. "You like to tattle, don't you, Sirius? So do I, and I'm telling your mother that you're bullying other kids."

"Like who?" James demanded.

"Severus, for one. How would I know who else?"

"You mean Snivellus?" he remarked, laughing. The other two didn't laugh with him this time.

Narcissa fixed him with a haughty stare. "I doubt it will do any good to report you, since your parents are undoubtedly as uncouth as you are. Just watch your step, Potter, because I'll be watching. If I see that you or your nasty friends are tormenting him, I'll hex you without a second thought."

To make sure they couldn't retaliate when she turned her back, she gathered up their wands in one fist and flung them as far as she could, then addressed Sirius one more time. "I mean it, Sirius. It's not four on one anymore, it's four on two, and I know a lot more magic than you do." She resisted the urge to kick him before she left.

The other three boys raced over to pick up their wands and rushed back to Sirius. Remus pointed his wand at the boy, hesitating.

"Does anybody know how to remove that spell?"

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"Dolohov, over here," Voldemort instructed. "I want to see you duel with Bellatrix."

Antonin Dolohov, a man approximately Voldemort's age, stepped out from the small group of Death Eaters, eyeing the new member warily. She was young, likely had insufficient experience with dueling, which made him grin in spite of himself. He'd wipe the floor with her, earning himself praise from the master. And it was just plain fun to reduce someone to a heap of rubbish!

"Yes, master," he said, facing the woman. Now that he got a closer look, she seemed a bit more intimidating. Scary, even, in an intangible sort of way. The eyes.

The other Death Eaters scuttled back as far as they could against the wall, while the dark lord levitated himself to watch from above. He noticed the arrogant attitude with which Dolohov approached this task, his supreme confidence in his superiority. Confidence was good, necessary; overconfidence could be deadly. Let them all learn.

"No killing curses," Voldemort ordered. "Bow."

They bowed to each other. Bella bared her teeth, anxious to begin.

"Go."

The word hadn't died on his lips before Bellatrix had thrown a stupefying hex at Dolohov, slamming into his chest and propelling him off his feet. He landed, stunned, on his back. Bella loosed another that lifted him up and dropped him hard on the stone floor. Her wand aimed for another, which Dolohov deflected, rolling over and struggling up as he tossed back a silent expelliarmus. Neither dueler, both skilled at silent charms, dared give advance warning to the opponent by declaring their spells. Only streams of light flashing and moans and grunts from the man could be heard.

Bella threw up a shield charm, barely warding off the expelliarmus, then countered with a rapid series of hexes Dolohov blocked in a frenzy of movement. Her last, a transfiguration charm, glanced his shoulder. All at once the man released his wand, slumped over, dropped to all fours, and shrank down into a turtle the size of an ottoman. Bella shrieked with elation and turned to the dark wizard.

"I won, master!"

Voldemort, smiling wryly, lowered himself to the floor. He allowed her to approach and throw herself at his feet. By way of reward he reached down to pat her head. "Excellent, Bellatrix. You have shown your fellow Death Eaters that one must not judge an opponent by sight." The turtle Dolohov took a few tentative steps on his stubby legs as if to prove his point.

Bella cooed and groaned her satisfaction at his touch. "I wish only to please you, my lord."

"And you shall," he answered cryptically.

Leaving Bella kneeling where she was, he walked over and kicked the turtle onto its back, where it lay flailing slowly, piteously. "Feeling vulnerable, Antonin?" he taunted. "If the aurors catch you, they'll do more than transfigure you." He pointed his wand at the creature. "Crucio."

Dolohov's legs thrashed as rapidly as a turtle was able, his head crashing from side to side in his shell. The Death Eaters, observing from along the wall, each winced inwardly as they realized how the one being chastened could so easily be any of them. Every so often the master demanded a duel; the loser invariably suffered terribly. Nevertheless, they made no outward sign to indicate they held any feelings whatsoever about the punishment, lest said punishment spill over onto them. Voldemort lifted his wand, then swirled it once and Dolohov regained his shape, gasping and sobbing on the floor.

"Yaxley, Avery, I expect your Muggle delivery very soon. It's time I see young Malfoy, he has need of instruction."

"Yes, master," they chorused.

He entwined his fingers in Bellatrix's hair. To the rest he waved a dismissive hand. "Be gone."

They all Disapparated in puffs of black smoke. Bella leaned over to Voldemort to kiss his robe again, gratifying the evil wizard. He'd instituted the practice for them all, none of whom dared to object, of course. It gave him great—what his teachers at Hogwarts might have called perverse—pleasure to watch them grovel, to know they believed themselves better than that yet were forced to submit to his whims. He thoroughly enjoyed humiliating them as he'd done with Dolohov only moments ago, as he would do again to someone else next time he saw them.

His gaze dropped to Bellatrix. So new as a Death Eater, so loyal already. He'd not had provocation to punish her, although he wouldn't hesitate to do so. In the back of his mind he thought he might not take such joy from her pain. She wasn't like the others who associated themselves with him for personal prestige or power.

In all his years, even as a young man, he'd disdained love, nor had this attitude altered in any way through his life. Women meant nothing more to him than an avenue to power as their master, exactly the same as men. Why did this woman affect him differently? Her loyalty? Her absolute wholehearted devotion to the cause? He knew this much—it wasn't love. The dark lord had no need for such ridiculous, repulsive fantasies.

He knew the basics of biology—the process, if you will. The idea of tainting himself, sullying himself like a rutting beast had always been patently abhorrent to him; the mere thought of allowing lust to control him was inconceivable. Yet here, now, the notion of joining himself to Bellatrix didn't disgust him, didn't alarm him. She would willingly give him everything she had, including herself, and he would take it as the offering it was meant to be: an oblation to her master, a fitting sacrifice.

"Bellatrix, I wish you to please me."

"How, my lord?" she asked eagerly.

Voldemort blinked several times, momentarily speechless. "I have no idea."

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"Narcissa! Narcissa, wait!" Lucius trotted down the corridor, shoving students out of the way in his attempt to pursue the girl, ignoring their stares and snickers behind him as he gave chase to an evidently fleeing prey.

She spun around, intent on shouting at him to leave her be. Instead she veered off into the grass with him hot on her heels. He grasped her robe to halt her, which it did with a tremendous ripping sound. Narcissa stopped dead and glared furiously, holding out her hand.

"Give me my sleeve!"

Lucius handed it over sheepishly. "I'm sorry, honey, I didn't mean to do that. Why have you been avoiding me?"

"I don't even know who you are," she retorted.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Bella told me, Lucius! How could you? And then pretending—" She took off again.

He had an easier time chasing her down without students in the path, and he came around in front of her, taking both arms in his strong hands. "What did Bella say?"

Narcissa lowered her voice to a hiss. "That you're a Death Eater!"

His eyes registered shock. He should have guessed Bella couldn't keep her mouth shut, but did he think he could hide it forever? One day, on their marriage night if not before, Narcissa would see the Mark. There was no way to deny it. He cleared his throat. "Well, yes. But you believe what he promotes the same as I do. We purebloods are superior. The dark lord is trying to change the wizarding world so we aren't shoved aside by a deluge of mudbloods."

"And you believe that's all he wants? He's a maniac, Lucius! Do you really think he has your best interests at heart? Or mine?"

Lucius shook his head, letting go of her and stepping back. He felt too dirty to touch her. "No," he whispered. "Only it doesn't matter what I believe. I'm his slave now, I must obey. He's too powerful to combat."

"It's disgusting! Why did you do it, why would you throw your life away?" she cried, looking utterly heartbroken.

"For you. To have you."

Narcissa paused to comprehend what he was saying. Lucius became a Death Eater for her? To have her? But he already had her! Unless he'd done this evil deed when she was betrothed to Ivan… but that made no sense. Her mind whirled, remembering prior conversations, assurances that everything would work out, they would be together in spite of facts to the contrary. No, not Lucius…

"You killed Ivan," she said in a deadpan voice.

"No, Narcissa, not me!" He hesitated to go on, yet she knew, and what she didn't know dear Bella would be only too happy to fill her in on. Better coming from him. "It was done so we could be together, but I didn't do it."

Her composure crumbled and she burst into tears. She stumbled toward the school, pushing against him on her way, the profuse tears making it difficult to see. Over her shoulder she bawled, "Leave me alone, Lucius! Just leave me alone!"